


Unfold

by SilverScriptings



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mild skysolo if you squint, Misunderstandings, Protective Han Solo, cute misunderstandings, han keeps misunderstanding everything, hans a meddling himbo, he's a himbo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28495995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverScriptings/pseuds/SilverScriptings
Summary: Han can’t help but be suspicious of a certain Mandalorian who’s been spending an awful lot of time at the Jedi Temple...
Relationships: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa/Han Solo
Comments: 65
Kudos: 1140





	Unfold

The Millennium Falcon eased into the atmosphere of the seemingly innocent and lush planet below. On the surface, the location of the blossoming Jedi Order was ostensibly harmless; bright, green, full of life. But the perfection of the planet is what gave Han pause. Han hadn't been quiet about his distrust of this location. Yes, it was remote and quiet and, according to records, deserted. One of the dark, secret planets that didn't exist officially in the Old Republic

But he'd been around the galaxy long enough to know that when something was too good to be true, it probably was a front to something sinister. He imagined a nest of pirates or a secret base of Imps hiding out on the other side of the planet. He'd tried to press his concern on Luke, but the kid only got more stubborn with age. Not necessarily a bad quality, but mixed with his eternal optimism and nativity-- it was a cause for concern.

"Once more," Han instructed Chewie as he gestured a wide circle with his hands. Chewie nodded before taking the ship around the perimeter again to be sure they weren't overlooking anything.

Han turned on communications, giving Luke a notification of their arrival. They waited a few minutes for a response.

None came.

Chewie growled and pointed as they descended. There in the neighboring docking bay was Luke's familiar X-Wing, but beside it was an unfamiliar ship. A design he hadn't seen in a long time. Perhaps it was pre-empire- bulky, functional, ugly.

"That's not good," Han muttered. "Take us down close to the tree line."

Chewie barked at him.

"Well, try not to hit any of the trees; just don't get us too close to the Temple."

Han was already unstrapping himself from the pilot's seat and pulling out his blaster. Of course, they'd most likely already lost the element of surprise, but he was acting on instinct. And his instinct told him that something was off, and he didn't want to be too close to the unknown ship. 

The improvised landing shook the ship, rocking him roughly back and forth as he grabbed up another blaster, pushing it into his ankle strap. "Easy," he hissed at Chewie, who was finishing landing procedures. 

Han paid no mind to his friend's fussing in response, only waited for the Wookie to get his crossbow and catch up. When he felt the familiar body heat behind him, he opened the doors and rushed out of the ship.

As silently as possible, he and Chewie moved across the open space to Luke's ship. He checked for damages and anything else that would give them a clue about what they were getting into. The abrupt search came up with nothing. The kid's ship appeared to be intact. 

Next, they moved to the other ship. Up close gave no more information than before; the vessel's blandness fed into Han's unease. It almost seemed to be intentionally blank-- as if the pilot wanted to remain anonymous and unnoticed.

He was going to check the hatch when a whoosh of a door opening drew their attention. 

He and Chewie pressed themselves against the side of the ship before he leaned out to find the source of the noise. A door to the main building was open, and from Han's point of view, he could make out a figure; bulkier than Luke and armored in some fashion.

Han ducked and angled himself to get a better look at the stranger. His blood froze within him. For half a moment, he was back in Cloud City, shackled and positioned above the carbonite unit with the mist from the device already freezing the sweat on his skin.

But the moment came and went when he realized he was looking at an unknown Mandalorian and not the specific one responsible for what happened to him. Oh no, Boba Fett was dead. This guy had the familiar silhouette of the warrior of Mandalore, but his armor was much sleeker. 

Han tested it by bouncing a few well-aimed blaster bolts at it; Sleek and beskar.

"Great," he muttered as the stranger returned his fire.

Looking up at Chewie, Han lifted his chin, indicating him to go around the back of the ship. The Wookie nodded and proceeded as instructed. 

He heard Chewie fire off a few shots, effectively drawing the imposter's fire. Han took the opportunity to move, running a few short paces from the ship to a stack of shipping crates. He swiftly leaned back against them and peered out again to get another look at the assailant. Han squinted to try and better understand the man's armor and where there could potentially be a break. There were a couple of weak spots, but he was too far away to get a lucky shot. 

Still, he had to try. If there was a fully beskar armed Mandalorian at Luke's temple, it meant that Luke could be in big trouble. 

Taking the opportunity, he rushed out from behind the crates. His blaster fired non-stop as he tried to cover as much ground as possible. This action, of course, reminded the Mandalorian that Han was still there. The man turned toward him. Han felt the heat of a couple of blaster bolts whirling past him. He was almost within range of a lucky shot when a blur of bright green interrupted his concentration.

A familiar lightsaber deflected three bolts from the stranger before Luke turned around and deflected Han's own. Han didn't have a moment to fully comprehend his confusion before his blaster was ripped from his hand and dumped in a pile in front of the Jedi along with two other unknown weapons and Chewie's crossbow.

"Would you three please stop shooting at my school," Luke announced with the most parentally disappointed tone.

One quiet moment of confusion and agitated bewilderment was quietly shared among the three competitors before they all tried to defend their actions simultaneously.

Han opted for a simple, "Do you know him?" while Chewie growled loudly and the Mandalorian's unfamiliar voice hissed, "They started firing first."

Luke opened his mouth to respond, his gaze bouncing from Han to the stranger to wherever Chewie had found a defense. He closed his mouth and shook his head, muttering something about 'shooting first and asking questions later.'

"Din," Luke finally said, "This is Han Solo and Chewbacca-- they're family. Han," he turned and beaconed Han closer. "This is Din Djarin,"

\---

Han stood facing the other man, his arms firmly on his hips, mirroring the stranger's body language. The Mandalorians faceless stare unnerved Han in a way he couldn't quite come to terms with fully. Helmets are worn to hide yourself, to attach yourself to a cause, to surrender your identity. 

He didn't trust anyone in a helmet.

Fifteen minutes earlier, Luke had ushered them inside, effectively dodging all of Han and Chewie's direct questions. The Mandalorian followed them without question but with the same tension of mistrust vibrating throughout his body. Han's eyes kept shifting from various parts of his armor, noting the other weapons that Luke hadn't bothered to disarm.

Luke then disappeared; clearly, their shooting match had pulled him away from something equally as important. He gave Han a pointed look that was dangerously close to his sisters when she wanted him to behave himself. Han responded with the same innocent look he'd given Leia a hundred times. The Jedi then proceeded to leave them alone together.

"So how'd you find this planet-- _bounty hunter_ ," Han asked. Not all Mandalorians were bounty hunters, of course, but again, Han was going with a gut feeling. The ship's blandness and the man's demeanor seemed to indicate that he had done some time bringing others in for the right amount of credits.

The Mandalorian tilted his head but must've found the question boring. He retained his silence.

"Not much of a talker, are you?"

The Mandalorian's fingers slowly tapped at his hip as the eyeless face continued to stare at Han. Han looked up behind him at Chewie for a moment, making sure he had his usual backup. Chewie stood with his arms also on his hips.

If Han weren't so confused and irritated, he would've found the three of them amusing.

"So you are a bounty hunter," Han continued playing off his silence. "Of course you are. Your kind just loves that line of work. Stopping perfectly good, hard-working individuals for whoever has the most credits. Must be rewarding work. What's the appeal for you?"

"The silence, _smuggler_ ," he finally spoke after a tense couple of minutes.

Chewie growled behind him, but Han just laughed. "Smuggler. Hm. What gave me away."

Another tap, tap on the Mandalorian's hip told Han that he was debating his next words.

"Smugglers tend to be in love with their own voice."

Before either side of the room could react, the door to the chamber opened again. Luke returned, holding something small and green. At first, Han thought it was some sort of tiny animal, but the large wide eyes seemed more reminiscent of his little boy, Ben.

"Did you leave him alone?" the Mandalorian addressed Luke, seeming to forget about him and Chewie.

"I had to for a few minutes, or you three were going to kill each other."

"I had the situation under control."

"A moment away from murdering my friends is not what I would call having everything under control."

Chewie and Han perked up at that; The implication there being that the bounty hunter was about to finish them both off, "Hey--" Han tried to interject.

"I thought Jedi were supposed to know things before they happened--"

"Can we please just start again," Luke gave the Mandalorian a look that seemed to indicate some familiarity or a hint at an earlier conversation? The two held each other eyes for a few lingering moments.

Han's eyes flicked from his friend to the stranger and then back again. There was an unknown tension between them. Han frowned, uncertain of what they just stumbled into.

Luke took a few more steps into the room before handing the little being in his arms over to the Mandalorian.

"Din, this is Captain Han Solo and Chewbacca. I fought with them during the war. They've saved my life too many times to count. Han," he said, turning his attention away from the Mandalorian. "This is Din Djarin. He's been Grogu's faithful guardian, and he successfully made contact with me to begin Grogu's training."

Han regarded the other man again. Even with the funny looking child in his arms, he appeared dangerous. in fact, he almost appeared more fierce with the innocent in tow.

He didn't like it-- something was off, and he didn't like it one bit.

"But what's he doing here?" Han blurted out. Last he understood, Luke had found a child to train and had taken the kid alone to the planet to focus the training process. He didn't say anything about bringing along the kid's guardian.

A look of minor annoyance shifted in Luke's keen eyes before he righted himself.

"Din is helping me set things up," Luke said quickly-- almost too fast. He cleared his throat and continued. 

"I wanted to ask you the same thing, Han. I wasn't expecting you for another week with the supplies."

Chewie made a snide remark about Han getting kicked out prematurely, which he followed up with that deep Wookie chuckle. Han rolled his eyes and refrained from snapping at his companion.

"Oh, I see," Han knew the kid wanted to say more but held back. 

Luke sighed and then broke into a large grin. "It's good to see you two regardless," he stepped forward to welcome Han into a hug. Han's earlier defenses weren't completely assuaged, but he returned the hug while keeping an eye on the stranger; this Din Dujardin.

"I was on the roof with Grogu here when you arrived, or else I probably could have helped avoid the mix-up earlier."

"Yeah," Han said with no enthusiasm. "Mix-up."

\---

"I don't like it," Han said as he grabbed up another cargo box and threw it in on the hover transport.

"Why's he hanging around here anyway? I don't buy for one minute that he's helping set things up." Han raised his voice to yell over all the racket he and Chewie were making. "Luke's been working on this place for a while now. I think he likes fixing it up. Since when has he called in help?"

Chewie threw up his arms and said something along the lines of Han needing to mind his own business.

"Hey," Han said instantly defensive, "this is my business, Luke's family and you and I both know how he can be."

Chewie laughed at that-- _actually laughed_. It was true that it was still tough for Han to see that the awkward farmboy had grown up into a powerful and capable man. He knew how far Luke had come, but when he looked at the kid, that's all he saw: a kid.

"I'm serious," Han continued, ready to push his point with his companion "That bounty hunter is up to something; I can feel it in my guts. For all Luke's immense power and tricks, he can still be a naive, optimistic kid."

The Wookie threw the last box none-too-gently on the pile before growling a response.

"Alright, alright, I'll talk to Luke."

\---

"He's been here a few weeks or so," Luke said without turning to address Han. 

Luke was wearing green cargo pants and a simple white shirt, now covered in sweat and dirt from where he sat outside the temple. He was halfway inside an open control panel with various electronic guts spilling out across the ground. Without his Jedi robes and lightsaber, it was much easier for Han to think of him as the cocky kid from Tatooine and not the Jedi Knight-- or was he going by Master these days? 

For all his Jedi training, Han had known the kid long enough to pick up on specific moods. For one, his lying techniques had sharpened due to his training, but Han could still see the awkwardness in his shoulders and back. Not to mention his inability to look at Han, which was a dead giveaway.

"Uh-huh," Han flatly replied as he planted his hands on his hips.

"He's very close to Grogu," Luke continued calmly, "he was his guardian for a long time but more like a father to him, he's a-"

"Bounty hunter," Han interjected, "and a damn good one judging by that shiny armor."

"Han," Luke firmly said as he pulled himself out of the opening in the wall. "You were a smuggler-"

"Yes, which is why I know exactly how tricky and dangerous bounty hunters can be."

Luke sighed, dropping his chin to his chest. Seeing the opportunity, Han continued.

"How do we know this isn't a long game for him. Your unmistakable mug is probably still on a few lingering Imp pucks out there. And if he's smart, he knows not to engage you openly. He's earning your trust-"

"Han," Luke interrupted as he lifted his head to look him in the eye, "You really don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

Now it was his turn to sigh. That wasn't what he was trying to communicate at all. Why did all of these conversations end up like this, not only with Luke but also with Leia? 

"Luke-" Han started again before another voice echoed the same name.

"Luke," came the Mandalorian's filtered robotic voice from behind Han. 

_Luke?_ Not Master Jedi, or General Skywalker, or even merely Skywalker but simply: _Luke_.

Han mustered up a dirty look to throw at the bastard but stopped when he caught something odd on his friend's face. The faintest touch of color-tinted his cheek and an expression he hadn't seen on Luke's face in a long time. He couldn't quite remember when he'd last seen Luke look almost flustered.

"The main power is failing for the southern temple."

Luke's impeccable Jedi composure took over quickly. Whatever Han noted in his demeanor had now completely vanished. Luke straightened his back and leaned to the side to get a better look at the bounty hunter.

"Alright, I'll come have a look."

Han turned and offered the man an insincere smile. "Why don't you have Chewie take a look? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help out."

The Mandalorian tilted his helmet, indicating he had shifted his gaze from Luke to Han. Han broadened his smile in response.

"That won't be necessary, Captain Solo-"

" _Han._ It's Han-- since we're all on a first-name basis here," he said as he turned to regard Luke quickly before returning his attention to the stranger. The Mandalorian stood silent. He wondered what sort of smug expression lay hidden under that bright beskar.

"We've got it, Han," Luke said as he picked up the crate of tools and walked past him. "Stop your worrying, alright?" he said with a scolding finality.

Han watched as Luke walked past the bounty hunter. The Mandalorian waited a couple of beats to continue staring at Han before turning and walking in step with the Jedi.

\---

A few days passed with Han trying to make himself useful at the temple. It turns out that there were quite a few projects around the place that needed attention. He wasn't sure if this helped the narrative that the Mandalorian was aiding Luke or if it hurt that front. Because if he was helping, he was doing a pretty poor job. How long did Luke say he'd been here?

Han hadn't made an effort to be friendly with the bounty hunter. Chewie, on the other hand, had reached out to help with repairs to his ship.

"Yeah, and what did you find out?" Han asked as he stared out across the open area outside the second temple. Luke and the little green guy were sitting, facing each other, both calm and concentrated.

Chewie growled in response.

"Ok, so the ship is pretty new to him. What does that tell us? That something massive happened to his last one: destroyed or stolen."

Chewie reminded him that it's entirely possible that he simply lost his last ship in a bad bet. Han snorted and eyed his own ship with some appreciation.

Han returned his attention to Luke and the kid. Several small rocks had started to levitate around the two of them, floating slowly and gently, as serene as the two that controlled them. Han wondered if they were jointly moving the objects or if the little guy who was doing the heavy lifting.

Chewie's low growl pulled him out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean you _like_ him? What's to like-" Chewie cut him off before he could go into great detail on the Mandalorians unlikeability.

"I have talked to him!" Han protested.

Chewie nudged him and pointed. Han followed his direction; his eyes now focused on the third figure to enter the area. The Mandalorian stood a ways off, just watching the two Jedi as they manipulated the world around him. Without a face to read, Han took to examining his posture, but even that was difficult to comprehend fully. The man was always guarded and alert, aware that he had few more sets of eyes observing him. 

Except as Han watched him at that moment, something seemed different. The bounty hunter appeared at ease-- relaxed even. Han shifted his consideration to the two Jedi, paying close attention to the small guy. Perhaps the Mandalorian had residual feelings for the funny kid he'd helped deliver to Luke.

Chewie barking at him to play nice pulled Han momentarily out of his head. He heard the Wookie head off and leave him to his own bad decisions. 

Han knew the precise moment the other man was aware of him. The alertness returned to his demeanor, and the fingers of his hand twitched by the blaster at his side. Han ignored it, moving to stand next to him. They remained in rigid silence, their strained body language a vast difference from the two they watched.

"Sure is crazy what they can do," Han tested the waters.

Silence was his immediate response. Han resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the predictability.

"I've seen Leia do some pretty incredible things; never used to believe in this riffing Force stuff myself, but then I met them; Leia and Luke and they're just--," he trailed off, recalling the events that changed the trajectory of his life.

"Special," the other man's voice supplied. 

Han turned towards him, trying to look for context clues in his body to make sense of the tone in the bounty hunter's voice.

"I was going to say a pain in my ass, but yeah, special works just fine as well."

Han openly eyed him. This would be a lot easier if he could see an expression, but he'd been around the Outer Rim enough in his youth to understand body language. The man was hyper-vigilant with his limbs and attention, but Han could make out a thing or two if he concentrated. 

And something about the current angle of his body told Han that he was watching Luke very carefully. Han flicked a glance at his friend before resuming his open observation of the stranger. Could he be looking for weaknesses? Was the stranger monitoring the Jedi's schedule so he could determine the right opportunity to catch him unaware? Would he even dare to try anything with him and Chewie there?

"From what I understood about Mandalorians-- they aren't too fond of Jedi," Han decided to poke the Bantha and see what happened.

Nothing.

"Now I'm just a nobody from Corellia, but I've heard whispers of the Mandalorian-Jedi wars. Didn't really turn out well for your kind, did it?"

There was a subtle shift in his weight and a tilt of his helmet toward Han. He was certain to hold the gaze of the other man even if he couldn't see the whites of his eyes. Han cleared his face of levity, clenching his jaw as the unspoken accusation built between them.

If the bounty hunter wasn't going to pull Luke in for a job, then maybe he had another nefarious reason to be loitering around the temples. Perhaps something more akin to ancestral revenge? The Jedi had many enemies, and with Luke being at the forefront of their return, that put a large target on the kid's head.

"What are you getting at, Solo?"

Han waited a moment, letting the silence fill with any number of implied allegations before innocently disarming his comments with a casual shrug.

"The Jedi have a lot of enemies," Han stated.

He returned his attention to the Jedi, surprised to find both Luke and the kid staring at the pair of them. He wondered if the two were picking up on the precarious nature of their exchange. He couldn't understand the little guys' expression, but he was very familiar with the look of disappointment laced with suspicion on Luke's face.

Han put on his innocent face, mouthing the word _'what'_ slowly. Luke only shook his head at him before getting back to his student.

"You and I agree on one thing, then," the Mandalorian replied. 

Han turned to him once more. Judging by the angle of the helmet, the bounty hunter was watching Luke and the kid again.

"It's a dangerous time to be a Jedi."

Han clenched his jaw and wished once more that he could see what the man's face revealed about that statement. 

\---

The Mandalorian's words continued to bounce off the walls of his skull for the remainder of the evening. Han found himself checking up on the stranger idly throughout the day to make sure he wasn't doing something to Luke.

While he was already on alert with the stranger lurking in the Jedi Temple, their short exchange put Han on the offensive. Han took his inquisitiveness a step further than just eyeballing him to actively following him when he exited his or Chewie's or Lukes company. Han tried to keep his snooping to the bare minimum, not to be noticeable. The man was clearly talented and knew how to survive the Outer Rim enough to know when he had a tale.

Han tried to keep it subtle. Mostly sidling up to a corner and peering around at the bounty hunter. Generally, his comings and goings appeared to be harmless. Checking up on his little green charge, chatting with Luke, checking on his ship, doing some work on the temple-- nothing that screamed vile intent.

Except the overall motive wasn't apparent. Aside from the man's attachment to Luke's small Jedi trainee, there was no real reason to be at the Jedi Temple unless he was taking inventory of Luke's defenses and weaknesses.

During Han's latest surveillance, he took a risk and followed the Mandalorian after he'd had a quiet conversation with Luke. Han wondered what the two had to discuss beyond the child's welfare, but they did talk and quite a bit. The stranger wasn't one for casual conversation by any means, but he and Luke always had something to deliberate about between themselves. 

Han wished he could be close enough to overhear the content of their words. Perhaps that would shed some light on the situation.

He had to settle for slinking around the temple, waiting for the Mandalorian to trip up. Han rounded a corner carefully, confident he was going to see that silver silhouette ahead of him. Instead, it was an empty hallway. Han frowned and waited a minute to fully understand the sight before him and be sure the man wouldn't pop out at him.

Han then moved into the corridor. He recognized it as one of the wings of the temple that housed the living quarters. Han was sure this was where Luke's private rooms were located. He eyed each of the doors, wondering if he'd slipped into one of them. Han debated charging into every room and confronting him. He tapped his index finger on the hilt of his blaster as he considered his options.

Han cursed in frustration at his indecision. He was about to start kicking down random doors when a high pitched warbling sound stilled him. He looked down the hall to find Artoo rolling toward him. The droid was clearly bothered judging by the frequency of chirps and various pitches proceeding out of his small mechanical body.

Han never did have the patience to understand Luke's little sidekick. He had Threepio for that. But he knew enough to know when he was angry and who was the target of his anger.

In this case, it was him.

"What did I do?" Han hissed as the droid nearly rolled over his foot.

The intelligible answer sounded vaguely threatening.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving. But keep an eye on that bounty hunter!"

He turned on his heel and doubled back the way he came. If Han were still a betting man, he would've put credits down on the sabacc table that the droid had said something particularly rude to his retreating back.

Regardless of the interruption, whatever the Mandalorian was doing poking around in Luke's personal rooms, it couldn't be good.

Han needed to have a look inside his ship. 

\---

"Hey," Han said as he trudged across the docking area. Chewie had just finished working on the bounty hunter's ship and was about to lock up. He jogged up to him so he could speak softly to the Wookie.

"You gotta let me inside."

Chewie barked in opposition.

Han tried to shush him as he checked around them to ensure there was no one in sight. "Yes, I know, but If I go in and find nothing, then I'll settle down, alright? It's a win-win."

Chewie's skepticism was evident on his furry face.

"Come on, pal. We owe it to Luke. If there's the slightest chance that the bounty hunter is up to something, I'd never forgive myself if something happened, and Leia would never forgive me so-- just," Han made a gesture up the ramp behind the Wookie.

Chewie sighed and barked that he should make it quick because their 'friend' may want to look at the repairs before nightfall.

Han quickly moved up the ramp into the ship. He didn't feel great about meddling with the bounty hunters' ship, but he had to be sure. He knew there was something not being said and that something may cost his friend his life.

Someone had to take care of the Skywalkers.

Han took a quick inventory of what he saw; various blasters, parts of a decimated droid, and a few clothing articles. He started to rifle through a bag of clothing, noting a few garments that seemed vaguely familiar. Was that Luke's black robe? No, it could be anyone's black robe. That was hardly incriminating. He shook his head and cursed, dropped the bag.

Han stepped into the cockpit and scanned his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a bounty hunter-- in fact, everything seemed glaringly mundane. He poked at a few of the consoles to see if he could glean any relevant information.

Nothing.

Nothing to implicate him, at least.

He was about to turn and leave when something caught his eye wedged into a groove beside the dashboard. It was well hidden but well within reaching range if he were sitting in the pilot's seat. 

Han picked up the small round device. It smoothly bloomed to life as he clicked it. A blue-tinted holo burst out of the top showing an image of the little green child. He frowned before clicking again. Another image of a more familiar face replaced that one; A recent holo of Luke.

Han stared at the familiar features of his friend for just a moment before clicking it away. He turned the device over in his hand.

Upon general inspection, it could just be a general holo-generator. Still, the tech from the Outer Rim was always in flux, changing due to whatever new power shift was occurring in the galaxy. Since the Empire's downfall, the technology could have made a vast deviation-- so who was to say that this wasn't some sort of bounty puck.

Han tightened his fist over the generator before slipping it into his pocket.

\---

He considered finding the Mandalorian and confronting him immediately, but he opted for dissecting the device to gather more information. He needed to learn all he could before showing his hand. And as much as he wanted to give the bounty hunter a piece of his mind, it would be wiser to bring his new information to Luke so the two of them could corner the stranger together.

Han took the device to the Falcon, where he had all his tools handy to slice it. Hours later, he'd effectively disassembled the holo-emitter and reconstructed it with nothing to show for it. No hidden beacon or metadata that hinted at a guild alliance or an employer.

He sighed and clicked it on again. The green kid materialized before him. He clicked it to the image of Luke. A sense of protectiveness welled up within him as he observed the features of his friend. He seemed so happy in the picture. It was a rare sight-- not that Luke wasn't happy, but he was more guarded after his formal Jedi training. Han could recall with clarity the impetuous boy from Tatooine who wore his heart on his sleeve. 

Something about the smile on his face in the holo reminded him of that carefree boy. A smile tugged at Han's mouth at the memory. The moment came and went as he recalled why he was tearing apart a stolen holo-emitter in the dead of night. He frowned and clicked the device off.

So what if he didn't find anything useful from the holo-emitter? It was still suspicious that the Mandalorian even had Luke's holo on his ship. He had to show this to Luke. Certainly, he'd understand Han's suspicions, and they'd figure out the rest of the mystery together.

He pocketed the holo-emitter and grabbed his blaster before exiting the Falcon. He blinked at the grey of the rising dawn on the planet. He snorted, unaware that he'd spent all night tinkering with the holo-emitter. 

"Well, Luke may be up by now," he muttered as he headed inside the temple. Han moved quickly and quietly down the halls of the temple. Not wanting to run into the bounty hunter, he pressed his back against every corner and peered around it just in case.

Old habits die hard.

That's when Han finally saw him- not Luke but the Mandalorian. He froze as he observed the man coming out of one of the rooms. Han fought the urge to pull out his blaster and start shooting, but something about the scene before him gave him pause. 

Something about him appeared-- _unpolished_.

The Mandalorian was preoccupied, not paying attention to the empty halls of the temple at dawn. He was facing away from Han, but for a brief moment, he caught sight of the back of his head before the man slipped his helmet back on. His armor appeared hastily put on, and he was carrying his boots in his hand. The bounty hunter continued to straighten various parts of his armor before finally moving down the hallway, disappearing from view.

Han entered the hallway, approaching the door he'd just left. 

It was Luke's room, his private bedroom to be precise.

Han stared at it for a long moment before fishing the holo-emitter out of his pocket. He looked down at the device in his hand, back up to the door, and then down the hall where the bootless, slightly disheveled Mandalorian had just left. 

He could feel heat rise to his cheeks.

"Wait..."

He recalled the look on Luke's face from a few days prior and remembered where he'd seen that expression before, it was the same look the kid had on his face when he would discuss his crush on Leia all those years ago.

_"Oh."_

**Author's Note:**

> The working title of this story was “Han Solo is a meddling himbo”. 
> 
> Also, the ship the Din has isn’t the Razor Crest (per its destruction) but I imagine he’d get another vessel that is similar in look and design.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Chat with me here: https://silverscriptings.tumblr.com/ or https://twitter.com/SilverScripting


End file.
